86th part of short reviews.
ANIMALIZE – Tapes from the Crypt
Year: 2020
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Rating: 7,8 / 10
The debut release of a cheerful band from France. The style combines Speed Metal, hooligan mannerism and sonority of Hair Metal, and constructive melody of Heavy Metal. Sometimes it cuts your ears with certain moments related to vocals and the general sound palette, but the guys play so sincerely that you don't pay attention to it. The best tracks are performed in ANIMALIZE's native language, and they are just perfect! I recommend starting with them right away.
HELLCRASH – Demonic Assassination
Year: 2023
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Rating: 6,7 / 10
Traditional speed-thrash metal, very similar first of all to VENOM, and then to BULLDOZER (obviously, because the band is Italian!). Aesthetically, everything is perfect, but these guys have the same lack of flow that always discouraged me from listening to VENOM, so I didn't really like the album. But I certainly recommend it to the fans of the great Brits.
FIRMAMENT – We Don’t Rise We Just Fall
Year: 2023
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Rating: 6 / 10
German melodic Hard'N'Heavy. On the one hand, very versatile and beautiful music. On the other hand, sometimes it's too mournful and tearful for me. Maybe I'll try it again when I'm 50 years old.
HELVELLYN – The Lore of the Cloaked Assembly
Year: 2022
Label: Purity Through Fire
Rating: 6 / 10
Standard ” high-quality underground " black metal, which you can listen to, even with pleasure, but it's not necessary to do it. The only positive note is this: HELVELLYN comes from England, and almost everything from England that pretends to be "black metal", manifests itself not only not Black Metal, but also just shit. Therefore, this is a pretty good result for England.
GRYMMSTALT – Anthems of Mournful Despondency
Year: 2022
Label: Signal Rex
Rating: 8 / 10
Our favorite Chilean participants of 13TH TEMPLE, WINTERSTORM etc. are with us again. This time they offer an impenetrably depressing piece based on long slow compositions in the style of BURZUM, WIGRID, DROWNING THE LIGHT. The music will slowly roll in a loose circle through the black mud until it hooks you and pulls you into the swamp of despair. Familiar, but still a very strong impression. In addition, the album has a serious concept of self-arousal through pain, so there's nothing shameful in listening to it!
English (UK) 
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